


Fixed

by shelny18



Category: Doctor Who, Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Fixed Points in Time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-12
Updated: 2014-01-12
Packaged: 2018-01-08 10:30:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1131573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shelny18/pseuds/shelny18
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The new man was fun, Grantaire decided as he leant against the bar, waiting for their drinks. He'd been sat with him for almost an hour now, even though they'd talked of nothing of importance, and he had to confess he was impressed. He'd coped admirably with Bahorel's overly enthusiastic backslap, had been remarkably unfazed by Courfeyrac's outrageous flirting, and had even been able to hold his own with Enjolras when correcting the student.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fixed

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm meant to be writing my essay and this came into my head, both through a conversation with my flatmate a few days ago and a picture set on tumblr which was utterly heartbreaking (and which I saw on a friend's laptop so didn't reblog so cannot find again to post here. Sorry).
> 
> Sorry in advance.

The new man was fun, Grantaire decided as he leant against the bar, waiting for their drinks. He'd been sat with him for almost an hour now, even though they'd talked of nothing of importance, and he had to confess he was impressed. He'd coped admirably with Bahorel's overly enthusiastic backslap, had been remarkably unfazed by Courfeyrac's outrageous flirting, and had even been able to hold his own with Enjolras when correcting the student.

As ever Grantaire's eyes flickered towards their blonde leader as he waited, missing the way Enjolras's eyes had been lingering on him only moments before and only seeing him debating passionately with Combeferre. Sighing he turned away again, not noticing how his companion was frowning as he watched him.

"Your drink," he said as he sat back down at the table, passing the bottle of wine over to him. "You know, you never did say your name. I can't keep on calling you Doctor all the time, Joly and Combeferre would get quite confused."

"It's just the Doctor," the man shrugged. "Sorry."

"What brings you to these parts then Doctor?"

"I travel. A lot. All the time pretty much." Placing the bottle to one side the Doctor leant over the table towards him, linking his fingers together as he studied Grantaire carefully. "You should consider it."

"What, travelling?" Grantaire let out a bark of laughter and automatically glanced back towards Enjolras. "Never. I know my place in life and it is here, in the shadow of Apollo with a bottle in my hand."

"You could be so much more," the Doctor sighed, still considering Grantaire. "I can tell that after only a short time." He sat up suddenly and clicked his fingers. "You should come with me."

"Travel with a complete stranger?" Grantaire's expression was priceless. "Monsieur, I may not have the same brains as Combeferre but not even I am that foolish."

"This isn't your normal travelling. I could take you to places you've never even dreamed of, show you worlds beyond your wildest imagination, and still get you back in time for their next meeting."

Grantaire frowned. "What you are saying is impossible. We wouldn't even get to the next country and back in that time."

The Doctor smiled. "Trust me, we could. You have a choice Grantaire. Stay here and waste away loving a man who will never love you in life, or come with me, meet incredible people and be fantastic. Fulfil your potential."

"What about him?" Grantaire murmured. "He's so convinced his precious revolution will come soon and I've sworn I'll stand beside him. He's the only thing left I believe in."

"It's a large universe," he was told. "There is more than Enjolras to believe in."

"Universe?"

The Doctor smiled. "I don't just travel. I travel through space and time." He watched Grantaire, waiting for his reaction.

"Space and time," Grantaire repeated slowly. "Space. And. Time." He looked the other man up and down. "I guess that explains your clothes."

"What's wrong with my clothes?" the Doctor demanded, looking down at his jacket and t-shirt.

"They are stranger than Jehan's." Grantaire considered him. "Maybe I'll consider it. But you'll need to prove it. Tell me something from the future."

"The monarchy doesn't last forever, not in this country at least." He nodded at Grantaire's bottle, still clutched tightly in his hand but otherwise forgotten. "You don't drink yourself to death. Marius gets his girl. He hasn't met her yet, but he will. In fact, he did today. If I have my dates right he'll be here any minute, talking about her."

"Marius, you're late!" Enjolras called across the room suddenly, interrupting the Doctor and glaring at the young man who had just slunk into the room.

"Are you okay?" Joly asked instantly. "You look pale."

"Here, have some wine. Tell us what's going on," Grantaire said, thrusting his bottle towards Marius, intrigued to know if his companion was correct, enough so that he ignored the look sent his way by Enjolras.

"There was this girl," Marius gushed, and Grantaire blinked as he continued. The Doctor had actually been speaking the truth. He let Marius continue, goading Enjolras a little more by encouraging him and only falling silent again when Gavroche appeared in the doorway, announcing Lamarque's death.

"Okay," he said after everyone else had left, going to make preparations for the next few days. "I'll come with you. Just tell me, do they succeed? Does this thing work? Do they live?"

The Doctor hesitated.

"I'm sorry," he said softly. "There are fixed moments in time."

"What do you mean?" Grantaire demanded.

"Fixed moments in time cannot be changed. They have to happen. This is one of them."

"Answer the question," Grantaire snarled, fast on his way to desperation. "Does. He. Live?"

"The barricade will fall. The people won't rise."

Grantaire felt like he'd stopped breathing, couldn't concentrate on anything but those few words. _The barricade will fall._

"You have to save him," he whispered. "You say I'd be fantastic - he already is. Take him with you. Let him meet these people. Show him the wonders of the universe. He deserves it more than I do. Just save him."

"It's a fixed moment," the Doctor repeated. "It had to happen. I'm sorry, but he has to die."

"How? What about the others? Do any of my friends survive?"

"Grantaire..."

"Tell me!"

"Marius is saved by the father of the girl. Everyone else dies."

"And Enjolras? How does he die?" Grantaire's voice and face were remarkably calm, as he resigned himself to hearing this.

"Alone, in this room. They shoot him last." The Doctor's voice was soft, understanding the pain his words were causing but knowing Grantaire needed to know the truth.

"Then thank you very much for your offer, but as much as I would love to take you up on this, I cannot."

"What good would it do? One more person will not save them Grantaire. You'll be throwing your life away."

"He won't die alone."

The Doctor paused at that. "You could be amazing." He shook his head before Grantaire could speak. "No, you _are_ amazing."

"Thank you monsieur. Now I'm afraid I must ask you to leave. I need to be going home."

* * *

Grantaire couldn't help his outburst the night of the barricade, demanding answers from Enjolras, answers he already knew, and he headed into the cafe angrily after he'd pulled away from Enjolras. He'd stayed for one reason and infuriating Enjolras and making the blonde demand he leave the barricade would not make his aim of dying with his leader happen any easier.

The man standing inside the top room of the cafe surprised him as he entered there.

"I did not expect to see you again Doctor."

"Come with me," the Doctor offered instantly. "Not forever. I just want to show you wonder before... You know. Tomorrow."

Grantaire glanced back towards where he knew he was not being missed.

"Okay."

* * *

Silence had fallen upon the cafe when Grantaire flung the doors of the TARDIS open, the smell of the alien planet's purple sea only just starting to fade from his nose as he stepped out into the cafe and let out a small moan. The sight of his friends' dead bodies made him convinced he was too late and he was about to turn and curse the Doctor when he heard the creaking of the floorboards above him. Grantaire had rarely moved so fast as he did then, throwing himself at the steps and stumbling up them, gasping with relief as he noticed Enjolras standing there, alone, separated from him by soldiers.

"I am one of them!" he cried, and the Doctor sagged against the door of the TARDIS as he heard it on the floor below. Grantaire pushed his way through the National Guard, murmuring a quiet "do you permit it?" to Enjolras once he was by his side.

To the artist the smile Enjolras gave him at that moment was more beautiful than any alien sunset, the hand he offered more wondrous than anything the Doctor could show him, even with all the wonders of the universe at his disposal. No matter what the Doctor said Grantaire knew then that he was wrong. This was his place. This was his destiny. This was his fixed point in time and nothing could ever make Grantaire want to be anywhere else.


End file.
